Neither rain, nor snow, nor gloom of night…can keep these hoops junkies off the asphalt courts. More than a Game is a rollicking and oft-times heartbreaking account of Chicago playground basketball. Featuring NBA stars, local legends and everyday players, MTAG makes for a fascinating companion to Hoop Dreams, which was released that same year.
Over the course of three years, filmmakers Joe Angio and Joel Cohen traversed Chicago’s playgrounds to find out why so many people — primarily black inner-city dwellers — devoted their lives to basketball. At the time of the film’s release, more NBA players came from Chicago than anywhere else; here, we hear from three of the best. Phoenix Suns all-star forward Eddie Johnson recalls how the playground helped him to steer clear of the notorious street gangs that seduced his older brother, a far superior basketball player. Former Utah Jazz all-star guard Rickey Green returns with two childhood friends to the South Side court where they competed against Arthur “the Magician” Sybills, who they all agree is the greatest player they ever saw. Future Atlanta Hawks all-star Glenn “Doc” Rivers — who would go on to coach the Boston Celtics to an NBA title — recounts a particularly transcendent playground game that he still considers the best he’s ever played in.